#mindfulmonday: You can make a difference

What one thing will you take away and change in order to make a difference to the lives of people with dementia and their carers?

This is a HUGE question. But, notice, they ask what one thing you will change. We all know that goals are better achieved when broken into small, manageable tasks that build on each other. So lets start small. At StillWell Senior Care, our pledge is to be more mindful when working with our dementia affected clients. When meeting with a client, it is easy to get carried away with ideas–activities you want to do with the client, goals you want to work toward or how to write it all out in a client’s plan. Unfortunately, because we are so passionate about our work, our brains are always spinning with new ideas, or new ways to approach existing problems. But, we have to remember to slow down and to listen to our clients. We must ask questions and get direct feedback about what the client wants and needs, not what we think he wants and needs. This is what separates StillWell from many care providers, we value listening. A conscious effort to remain mindful when working with our clients helps us to continue to listen and understand with open ears, open minds and open hearts.

Here are a couple other inspiring pledges from Dementia Carer Voices:

“I pledge to view the person I care for as all that they have been, they are and all that they can be.”

“I pledge to take the time to speak to the person’s family and provide support to make their lives as fulfilling as possible.”

We challenge you, today, to make a mindful pledge for an older person in your life. How will you be more mindful when interacting with this person? If you don’t have a specific older person in your life, how can you be more mindful of the older people you notice in a regular day? Maybe, your mindful task is just making a point to notice them, instead of bustling past.

Dementia Carer Voices is a wonderful project going on in Scotland, and we highly urge you to check out their blog for some great inspiration and positive affirmations.